


Snippets of KakaSaku

by flametwirler



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-13 16:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2157393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flametwirler/pseuds/flametwirler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My dumping ground for various shorts and vignettes. Themes vary from introspection to waff, sad to humorous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Building a Mystery

This series started as a challenge posed by the livejournal community kakasakudrabble. (http://kakasakudrabble.livejournal.com/profile) The community appears to be rather dead but I liked the challenge so I'm just posting here. There are 25 themes, all to be drabbles between 100-500 words.

I've branched out and am putting my other shorts and whatnot here as well, so if it doesn't have a theme listed at the beginning then I wrote it just because ^_-

~ ~ ~

 **Building a Mystery**  
Word count: 500 (exactly, whew!)  
Theme: #1 - Growing

~ ~ ~

Sakura surely was an interesting creature. She could loll about and make no progress at all, near to festering in her static condition, and then something in her would just suddenly snap and she would become someone else entirely. It always took some large catalyst, which worried him to some extent, but he marveled that no matter what was thrown at her she managed to come out on top, inordinately stronger and surer of herself.

He found himself watching her more closely, wondering when her next metamorphosis would come and what she'd look like on the other side. He knew the base of her character, watched her through the years and noted all the subtle shifts and changes that came to define a person. He could predict with certainty what she would do tomorrow but he had no idea who she would be in two years. In some ways she was a mystery to him, and the novelty of such a thing to he – who could see through nearly everything – excited him.

So it came as no real surprise to him when he realized the extent of the burgeoning desire building inside him. He couldn't say he welcomed it but it certainly hadn't blindsided him.

What did throw him off balance was the day that _Sakura_ came on to _him_.

He couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation, that all the while he'd watched her taking charge of her own life it took her to breach the barrier between them, that when he knew he wouldn't be able to predict the large changes in her life one faced him squarely in the nose.

He didn't check the chuckle that escaped him but realized belatedly that it might not have been the best idea as Sakura's fist plunged straight toward his gut. Sidestepping it easily he mused that at least she hadn't gone for his face. There mustn't have been much gusto behind the punch anyhow seeing as she didn't go after him a second time. Instead she settled for glowering at him behind crossed arms.

Realizing why she couldn't have understood his special appreciation of their current predicament he sought to placate her anger. Moving close to her again he reached out a hand, brushing it lightly across her shoulder. He couldn't hold back a smile of pure enjoyment.

Unfortunately Sakura, having not received any definitive answer when she'd just opened herself up to him, misinterpreted the movement as a patronizing smirk and her glare turned murderous. Kakashi, seeing her fist clench, moved to remedy the situation in the swiftest and most enjoyable manner possible: he leaned in and kissed her.

When he pulled back she smiled, then looked almost affronted that she hadn't gotten to sneak a peak at his face; that or his smug attitude at the fact. He couldn't help it, he knew he would enjoy each and every one of her attempts to get it off him.

He couldn't wait to get started.


	2. Underneath Your Clothes

**Underneath Your Clothes** (I'm terribly tempted to try to make each drabble titled by a song but I'm sure after this one I'll fail miserably, haha.)  
Theme: #9: Attraction  
Word Count: 333

~ ~ ~

It was the mask that had done it, she explained to him later. It had drawn her attention to him like nothing else could have.

Obviously in the beginning it had just been the physical mystery as Team 7 had planned one hair-brained scheme after another trying to see the face underneath. They'd gone so far as to make bets about what he looked like, whether completely normal or hideously disfigured - their opinions differing greatly depending on how hard he'd pushed them during training. However as she'd grown older and had begun to see him as more of a peer her interest deepened. Yes, she was still curious about his appearance, but more forefront in her mind were questions like: 'When did he start wearing it?' 'Why did he start wearing it?' 'Does he take it off for anyone?' 'Is he hiding or trying to protect something?'

These were harder answers to find but easier to go after. It was much more pleasurable as well since she got to spend time with someone who was quickly becoming one of her favorite people, instead of having her dignity handed back to her on a platter when one of their de-masking attempts failed. It made her look closer at Kakashi, the man, and wonder about every event in his life that had shaped him into who he was.

Then through it all, through all her seeking inquisitiveness to get inside his shell, to figure out the enigma that was Kakashi, she fell in love with him. Simple as that. And it might never have happened if she hadn't been so determined to figure out why he wore the blasted thing.

"So you see, it's entirely your fault that we're in this predicament now," she teased, brushing a finger lightly across his cloth-covered lips.

"Of course." Grabbing her hand he kissed the palm gently. "Then you must admit, I have the most excellent taste in apparel."

She grinned right back at him. "That you do."


	3. What Lies Between

**What Lies Between**  
Theme #8: Forbidden  
Word Count: 445

~ ~ ~

There were certain topics never brought up between them. Those things too morbid or filled with turmoil, namely his past and their lost teammate, were never acknowledged. To Kakashi they seemed out of place in a relationship that had started with such casual intent and light flirtations, a safe haven from the tragedy that existed outside the small little world the two of them had created.

Sakura had been his solace. He could escape in her for a few moments from the dark that had continually plagued him since his father's suicide, since Obito's unnecessary sacrifice, from the overwhelming guilt that pursued him wherever he went.

He knew the tentative peace was going to break. She was too curious for her own good, too concerned with his wellbeing to let things lie for long. He could see it in the way she looked at him from the corner of her eye, from the way her fingers sometimes lingered on his face, less a caress and more a way to simply reaffirm their humanity to each other.

So he couldn't say it surprised him when she broached the subject, but it certainly didn't mean he welcomed it.

"Do you miss him?" she asked one night as they sat in his apartment. He knew that she was being deliberately vague for his sake, letting him interpret the question so he could deal with whichever story he chose, if he chose.

He glanced outside, faintly satisfied to see it was late dusk. It seemed fitting to address this when all the world was turning grey. "Sasuke?" That bit of history was the safest route for him and was easier since it was shared between them.

She shrugged and replied, "Sure," though her tone was careful, cautious.

"I miss the memory of him," Kakashi said slowly, musingly. "He was always cold, distant," she nodded in sad, grudging agreement, "and that wasn't strange to me, being how I am, but I wanted more for him. I miss the hope of what he could become, who he could be."

Sakura caught on quickly they were no longer talking about Sasuke as Kakashi's eyes filled with old laughter and ragged pain from memories she'd only heard rumors about. "And do you miss him?"

"Yes," he quietly acknowledged, "I miss him. I miss them all."

She said no more as she moved to him, made no demands as she wrapped her arms around him.

And though he knew he should, Kakashi couldn't bring himself to resent cracking the superficial barrier between them. He knew that nothing would be quite the same but the peace had returned and that was good enough for now.


	4. Leading On

**Leading On**  
Theme #23: Mistake  
Word Count: 844

~ ~ ~

He was lounging in his favorite tree, losing himself in the uncomplicated fictional reality of his book. He'd been able to avoid responsibilities all day and was just getting comfortable so he really should have been expecting something to come along and shatter the peace.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called as she jogged toward him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, all thoughts of a relaxing afternoon gone. "What is it?"

She didn't bother to hedge but stared up at him squarely, as if preparing to face off with him. "I was hoping I might be able to convince you to come over for dinner tonight."

"Tonight?" he repeated, rubbing his chin. "I think I have a mission debriefing…"

Sakura glared at him for a brief second at his squirming to get out of an evening in her company but then her expression morphed into something almost saccharine sweet. "I just so happen to know there's no such meeting. I checked the logs and noticed you're free so you must've been mistaken about the day." She ended off with a look of blank innocence and he knew she'd already planned ahead to attempt to outmaneuver him. After all, there were certainly perks to being the hokage's apprentice…like access to such records as his schedule.

He sniffed. That was cheating in his opinion. Not that he was a sore loser or anything. "Must have mixed up my nights then. Tonight I must be meeting with Genma."

She stepped up directly beneath the tree, her hand stroking the bark lightly. "You couldn't possibly be trying to avoid me, could you? After all, you told me the last time you made up some lame excuse that the next time I asked you would _definitely_ take me up on the offer. You wouldn't break a promise now, would you?"

Kakashi did a double take. Was she batting her eyelashes at him? That couldn't be right. Still, he realized she was right. As much as he'd prefer to have an entire day to himself, to seclude himself away, she had somehow guilted him into making that promise and, for all his other faults, he was honorable.

"Fine," he conceded. The sooner he acquiesced the sooner she'd leave so that he could get back to his reading before he had to be at whatever event she was roping him into. "When and where?"

"My place, six o'clock. Don't be late." With a wink she spun and sauntered off and he swore there was more swagger to her hips than normal.

That was when it hit him. The coy glances, the body language – she'd been _flirting_ with him. Not only that but she'd invited him to dine at her place, alone.

He gulped.

Sakura, his little Sakura was hitting on him. Was she intending the evening to be a date? The thought gave him pause. He admired her, sure, counted her as one of the few people he could actually stand allowing close enough to him to actually care about – a small, select group to be sure.

He was uncomfortable with the situation, at the very least, and wracked his brain for a way to put a stop to anything further along those lines without either bringing up old insecurities or risking her considerable anger. After all, just because he _could_ dodge her punches didn't mean he wanted to exert the effort on a day off.

So resolve made to let her down easily he made his way over to her apartment, arriving punctually at 7:30.

Sakura answered the door, surprise written across her face. "Kakashi-sensei! You're early. I wasn't expecting you to show up until about eight; that's when I told everyone else to show up."

That stopped him in his tracks. "Everyone else?"

"Yeah, Naruto, Sasuke, and even Sai's coming along. That last was a bit of a gamble though considering how easily Sai sets Naruto off with his 'dickless' comments." She sighed in exasperation. "I warned them all though that I won't tolerate any damage to my apartment so if they start to rough house I hope you're willing to step in and help me out. My landlord really is on his last nerve."

She said all this offhandedly over her shoulder as she'd turned back to her preparations – namely pulling food items out of the store packaging and putting it in pots to heat and bowls to serve. "What?" she turned to ask when he'd been quiet too long. "You know I can't cook but that doesn't mean I can't pretend. I'm sick of them razzing me about it and figure this will shut 'em up for a while at least."

Kakashi shook his head ruefully. It looked like he wouldn't be needing the speech he'd prepared after all, which was a good thing really. He was absolutely horrid with speeches, speaking in general, or relationships at all, actually.

Honestly he was relieved…wasn't he?

Then why couldn't he explain the small hint of disappointment – tiny really, almost insignificant, he rushed to assure himself – that had managed to settle in his gut?


	5. Subversive Manoeuvres

**Subversive Manoeuvres**  
Theme #13: Discovery  
Word Count: 898

~ ~ ~

When Kakashi showed up late to the training field he'd expected Sakura to lay into him. She'd always been a stickler about him showing up on time, almost as annoyingly persistent as Naruto. Plus now that she had all those responsibilities at the hospital and didn't excuse tardiness there, so she'd gotten worse as of late. The fact that she didn't say anything at all upon his arrival worried him. The coy smile she gave him instead had him outright sweating.

"Why are you grinning like that?" he asked suspiciously, wondering what revenge she was planning, or if this was her attempt at reverse psychology.

"Like what?" she countered.

"Like the cat that's got the cream."

She nearly choked on her own laugh. "Funny you should put it that way. I just found out something interesting, that's all." She snickered menacingly but Kakashi didn't push any further, not caring to delve into the contents of her obviously disturbed mind.

They had a short but uneventful sparring session, Sakura's thoughts obviously elsewhere, so Kakashi called an end to it early, just as much for her sake as for his. He didn't want her to wind up accidentally hurting herself for her inattentiveness and for his part he just wanted away from that odd smug look she'd been carrying around all day.

So he bid her a farewell and took the long route home, meandering past Ichiraku, over the Hokage monument, into the bar for a quick, mellowing beer, then wandering lazily down his street, book pasted in his face. However the last thing he'd expected to find outside his apartment complex was the self-same pink-haired woman he'd just escaped from to now be lounging in a large tree just above the entrance.

"What are you doing here Sakura?" he asked, instantly wary, looking for signs of the trick he assumed she was planning.

"Oh, nothing much, just hanging out in a tree. Seems to be all the fad these days, wouldn't you know it. After all, you seem to be a fan of it yourself."

"Uh huh," he said neutrally.

"You know, that makes me think of the excuse you gave me this morning about being late because you had to save an elderly woman's cat from a tree. Poor thing," she tsked, shaking her head sympathetically.

He sighed. "I need to get inside. Long day you know, rescuing cats, fighting distracted kunoichi…"

"You've used that same excuse three times this month, you know," she chided leadingly.

Pasting on that brilliant, fake smile of his, he moved a step toward the door. "Would I lie to you?"

She taped her chin, as if deeply pondering the point, and his smile turned to a glare. "All right, all right," she teased, "I give. I know you wouldn't lie to me." Jumping down from the tree she brushed off her skirt, fixed her hair, then made to walk away. As if a thought had just come to her she paused and looked at him from over her shoulder. "But might I make a suggestion? Next time how about you don't track down the woman's cat and stick it so high up in the first place?"

At his dumbfounded look she laughed outright. She'd seen that? Still glorying in her discovery and needing to rub it in just a little bit more she started to saunter down the street. "Take care Kakashi-sensei, with as often as you use that woman's pet as an excuse you're liable to give her apoplexy, which she can hardly afford at her age. Why don't you choose a different cat next time?"

With a last wiggle of her fingers she was gone from sight and a speechless Kakashi staggered up the stairs to his apartment. While part of him felt chagrined he also felt just a hint of pride in her that she'd found him out. She couldn't have been close enough to physically see him or he'd have sensed her, so she'd either used some interesting jutsu he didn't know of yet or she'd gotten the information through someone else, but either way she was learning to use her skills well. The fact that it also chipped at his pride to be caught out by someone he'd once taught though stung just a bit too, even if it was in such a roundabout way. He'd consider asking her about it later.

As soon as he opened his door he froze, reflexes instantly going to high alert as he sensed a foreign presence in his room. Then he saw a note from Sakura on the table just inside the door and cursed himself for thinking that all she'd wanted to do in the situation was to gloat. With a weary sigh he picked up the scrap of paper, reading, _I got you a little something to take the place of poor old Taka-san's cat in your grand schemes. Now you can be the one to have a heart attack instead. Enjoy._

Stalking the foreign presence he came up on his bed, finding a tiny little furry body wrapped tightly into a ball. A kitten, she'd given him a kitten. He finally picked it up by the scruff of the neck and lifted it to face him, both of them considering each other for a long moment. Finally he succumbed and smiled. "So, how do you like trees?"

~ ~ ~

(Word count went far over in this one but, 1: I didn't much care, and 2: I'd intended it to end earlier but just kept writing. It happens. Somehow I doubt I'm going to be a stickler about the length on the rest of these...)


	6. Domesticity

Written for raposaselada's challenge on tumblr. It called for pizza, staying home, and cuddles. Just what the doctor ordered. So here's the pathetic little vignette I did for it.

~ ~ ~

**Domesticity**

~ ~ ~

Sakura woke with an 'oomph' as something landed hard on her stomach. Looking down she saw a mop of messy silver hair, Kakashi's long, lanky body doing as much as it could to cover and weigh down as much of hers as possible. The big dork. Smiling fondly, she asked, "Tough day?" He mumbled something but since he didn't bother to lift his head she had no idea what he'd said. Not that it really mattered.

Pulling his hitae-ate off, she ran her fingers through his hair contently before letting her eyes flitter back shut. She'd worked the night shift at the hospital all week studying some light-sensitive plant extracts and was still exhausted, despite the fact that it was likely only a little before noon, gauging from the angle of the light coming in through the window. Since Kakashi seemed content to just lie there, though, she let herself fall back to sleep, still sifting her fingers through his hair.

~ ~ ~

Sakura woke to the smell of something delicious, her stomach rumbling loud enough that she heard Kakashi laugh at it from the other room. Curious, because the man didn't bake and she knew she there was warm bread _somewhere_ , she finally roused herself. Stumbling into the living room she smiled at what she saw; he'd ordered them pizza.

Swooping down, she placed a kissed on top of his head before swiping the piece he was eating and taking a hearty bite. Grinning smugly, she sat down next to him on the couch, blowing him a kiss when he mock glared at her.

Part of her melted inside at the picture he made. He feigned nonchalance, barely glancing up at her entrance and continuing to read his 'book', but he'd ordered the pizza she liked. He wasn't big on foreign food, and even then, while he didn't outright dislike anchovies, they certainly weren't his favorite. But there he was, eating a food he'd gotten for her sake, and trying his hardest to play it off like it was absolutely nothing.

If she hadn't already been head over heels for the guy she'd have fallen just a little bit right then.

It had taken her a long time to see it, because he tried so hard to keep it hidden, but Kakashi was actually incredibly generous. He just didn't want the attention that came with acting on it in an obvious way. So if he couldn't keep it at least somewhat secret, he just didn't do it at all. Which was why she was so happy he was comfortable enough with her to make even this small gesture.

Continuing to munch on her slice of pizza, she cozied up next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Reaching over, she grabbed the pizza box from the side table and pulled it into his lap so she could grab another piece. A quick flickering glance her way was his only reaction. She smiled and settled herself more firmly against him.

After a few moments she started reading over his shoulder. Her books were on the other end table, much too far away, and she was too comfortable to move. Truthfully, his books weren't quite as bad as she made them out to be - he'd made her read one once - but harassing him was just so much fun.

Seeing as this wasn't the one she'd read, and she didn't want to break the moment by bothering to move, she contented herself with reading along at his pace. Before too long she was half-dozing against his side; when he'd moved to put his arm around her and bundle her in closer she wasn't sure, so she must've been sleepier than she thought. Then again, with the string of all-nighters she'd been pulling, it wasn't really a big surprise she was using her day to catch up on sleep, even if Kakashi was home too. He just made too wonderful a pillow, so it was his fault, really.

A knock on the door roused her and she muttered something unkind under her breath as she rose to get it even as Kakashi pulled his mask back up. Sure enough, it was an assistant medic on the other side of the door, saying there was some sort of emergency at the hospital and Shizune-san needed her. Of course. Heaving a sigh, even if part of her did love being one of the go-to medics in time of need, she raced around the apartment getting dressing.

Kakashi, face exposed again, watched her with thinly veiled amusement as she frantically pulled things together. Satchel packed and fully dressed, she paused for a moment to kiss him on her way out, swiping the piece of pizza he was munching on for good measure. She didn't feel too bad since there were still another two pieces in the box. Besides, the way things were going, she was likely to need the calories.

~ ~ ~

Hours later Sakura dragged herself through the front door, dropping her pack and shoes in the entryway before stopping short at seeing Kakashi still on the couch. Aside from the missing pizza box he looked like he hadn't even moved, same book in hand and everything. Her knees went a little wobbly but she swore it was just the exhaustion setting in now that she was finally standing still. But honestly, the silly, precious man had waited up for her.

Looking up he smiled and held out his right arm in invitation. Responding with a tired smile of her own, she fell onto the couch next to him, snuggling into him as his arm wrapped around her. Within a minute she was dozing against him, and when the world tipped she was utterly disoriented until she realized he was carrying her to bed.

He set her down, got her out of her shirt and skirt - he knew how much she hated the zipper and buckles digging into her - then pulled up the sheet and crawled in after her. As she laid her head on his chest, her last conscious thought before falling asleep was that, between the cuddles, the food, and the general lazing about, it had actually been kind of a perfect day.


	7. Bath

Written as a kind of companion piece to the last one. I'd been working on this one for longer, but it just kind of all fell together after I got the other one done. Kinda has the same vibe, 'a day in the life of', so I feel like they fit each other. A bit like our favorite two shinobi ;)

~ ~ ~

**Bath** (yes, this title is really that creative)

~ ~ ~

Kakashi wasn't as furtive as people actually gave him credit for, he just knew when to keep his mouth shut. Likewise, he knew when to pick his battles. Both had proved invaluable navigating his relationship with the pink-haired spitfire currently in the bathroom.

He'd come home from his mission, exhausted and filthy, and wanted nothing more than to just drop into bed. He knew that if he did, however, there would be hell to pay later. Sakura absolutely hated it when he dirtied the sheets like that.

So now he was stuck staring at the bathroom door, dazedly watching the wisps of steam escaping from the crack underneath, wondering how to proceed. He knew he should clean up, but he didn't relish the idea of intruding on her bath time either - he knew what would happen if he did.

There was no helping it really; Sakura would only be irritated if she found out he'd gone to sleep somewhere else instead. With a sigh he pushed the door open, closing it quietly behind him, and studiously ignoring anything other than the tile directly in front of his feet as he made a beeline for the shower.

"Kakashi, you're back!" she hummed happily. "Welcome home." He couldn't help but smile. The greeting was old, familiar, comforting, and utterly pointless. They both knew she'd likely been aware of his presence from the moment he'd stepped foot in the building.

"I'm home," he returned warmly, trying to keep the fatigue from his voice lest she catch on.

"How was your mission?" she asked, the lazy drawl of her voice letting him know just how utterly relaxed she was.

He grunted, shrugging his flak vest off in one motion and letting it fall to the floor.

"Kakashi," she began, an edge to her voice that showed she was no longer as drowsy as he'd thought.

He cursed under his breath. That meant she'd noticed the hitch in his shoulders just now. Turning, he pasted on his best fake smile - because they all felt fake, if he was honest. Sakura told him he did have one or two genuine ones, and for the sake of not being a wholesale pessimist, he chose to believe her.

"The mission was fine," he assured her in his most flippant voice. "But," he continued tiredly, "I'll have to tell you about it later, if you really want to know. Right now I want nothing more than to be clean and then fall into bed."

He pivoted back to the shower and reached inside, turning it on as hot as he thought he could stand. He wouldn't even bother undressing, which happened to serve two purposes. First, Sakura also hated having filthy clothes on the bathroom floor. He'd often wear his clothes into the shower after a mission just to get the first layer of caked-on-dirt washed off of them. So luckily this wasn't out of the norm for him, as it allowed him to cover his second and more important purpose: hiding his injuries.

For all that she acted like a tough little hellion in public in her determination to not be underestimated, he knew how hard she worked for every single thing she achieved. Hours, days, even weeks were spent in study on a plant's medicinal properties or perfecting some jutsu she'd either recently discovered or felt she'd fallen out of practice on. She rarely took the time to just indulge in a simple pleasure like a bath - at least not without bringing something along with her to read or study. He was loathe to not only suddenly turn it into something about him, but to make her actually do some work by healing him.

In fact, it was surprising she hadn't inquired about his injuries already; normally she checked him over as soon as he was through the door. She was probably just so lethargic right now that she planned to ambush him while he was sleeping later instead. Which was perfectly fine; that would work out great. Unless she noticed just how injured he was, in which case she'd insist on instant healing.

"Kakashi," she hummed, "I hope you know you're not fooling me with that stance. Your shoulders are way too stiff, even for you."

"I'm fine, Sakura. I'm sure getting under the hot water will do wonders for me."

"Then how convenient that I have a whole tub of hot water here you can soak in, not to mention my magic fingers," she retorted, wiggling said digits.

He sighed. "At least let me rinse off first. I'm filthy and you don't want all this muck floating around in the bath with you."

She snorted. "Nice try, but we both know that if I let you get in the shower you'll simply wash yourself as fast as humanly possible. Then you'll get out, say you're clean so getting in the bath is redundant, and that you're too tired anyhow."

Damn. She really did know him too well. "And what precisely is wrong with me wanting to get to bed as soon as possible? Sleep does wonders for the system too, you know."

She shot him an ironic glance. "Thank you Dr. Hatake, I really had no idea."

He couldn't help it, he laughed lightly at that, which was a bad idea as it aggravated the muscle he'd pulled somewhere in his torso. Wincing in front of Sakura was never a good thing, and he knew he'd pretty much just lost with that move. Still, he was nothing if not stubborn. It was part of what made them such a good pair.

"Well there you have it, doctor's orders: bed rest for the patient." He made a move for the shower again but froze at the sudden steel in her voice.

"Hatake, you do not want me to have to get out of this bath to drag your sorry ass in."

Sighing in resignation he knew he was beat. Hell, he'd known since he'd walked in the door, but he'd had to try. He did have his pride after all. But he'd heard the not-so-subtle threat in her words and knew very well that she would have no problem manhandling him into the tub, chakra-enhanced strength and all. And since he didn't want to be the one to break the bathroom and earn even more ire, he'd eventually end up in there anyhow, regardless of what pathetic struggle he was able to put up in his exhausted state.

She knew she had him, but she continued anyhow. "Besides, in the hurry you'd be in, you wouldn't clean yourself properly, let alone disinfect whatever wounds you're carrying. The sooner you get in here with me the sooner you get to sleep, so you may as well stop dragging your heels."

Unable to decide between acting petulant or stoic, he just went with tired. It was the easiest anyhow. Stripping slowly, no longer bothering with the guise that he was uninjured, he dropped his stinking clothes into the shower with a plop before turning the water off.

Taking the four steps to the tub, he was gratified that Sakura's eyes held an appreciate glow even as they narrowed in worry as they landed on his myriad injuries. That helped soothe his ego enough that he didn't even mind when she held out her hand to help him in. Of course he didn't take it, just acted like she'd held her arm out in invitation for him to slide right into them, which he did, giving her a quick, mischievous kiss before turning around and letting her go to work on him.

He leaned back against her, his head resting on her shoulder as he lazily slumped down into the water as deeply as he could. Hey, he'd done his best to let her relax, but if he was going to be in this situation then he was going to enjoy it as much as he could, and that started with soaking up all this delicious heat. Having a delicious, warm body to lay against wasn't all that bad either.

He cracked an eye open - without even being aware he'd closed it - when she moved oddly behind him, and he chuckled to see her draining the last of the wine from her glass. "Think I'm going to be that troublesome a patient that you have to prepare yourself, eh?"

She eyed him sardonically, the hint of a smile on her lips. "Oh, I know you're troublesome. That's nothing new." Kissing him to take the sting from her words, she continued, "This was for a much more practical reason." Dipping the glass in the water, she motioning for him to turn back around. Pouring the water over his head to dampen his hair, she commented, "I'd hate to accidentally drown you in your overtaxed state."

His rebuttal was only half-formed in his mind when her hands went to his scalp, lathering in a hefty dollop of shampoo, and his brain promptly turned to mush. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he probably wouldn't have fought her half so hard if he'd known this was what he had coming.

Rinsing the shampoo from his hair, she lathered up some more - he must've been even filthier than he'd anticipated, or she just knew how much he enjoyed it - which she left to sit while her hands moved to his shoulders and, instead of poking and prodding and flooding with chakra, she started massaging.

He was pretty sure he resembled a boneless heap of putty more than a man at this point, but he couldn't much care, not when the most beautiful woman in the world was caring for him and making him feel somehow like he was floating on a cloud. He hadn't felt this relaxed and peaceful in months.

Her hand swiped at his forehead, stopping some suds that were running down, and then her fingers were back in his hair as she rinsed the shampoo out again. He felt himself flowing with the water, swirling around and then down, down, into a quiet, warm, welcoming darkness.

~ ~ ~

He woke with a jolt, always on battle alert in the initial half-second he found himself some place other than where he'd fallen asleep.

Sitting up and rubbing his hand over his face, he felt embarrassment flood through him. He'd fallen asleep in the tub and, given that he was in bed, that meant Sakura had carried him there.

Oh, he'd never live this down. The only saving grace that while Sakura would joke mercilessly about it with him, poking fun at his delicate male ego, she would never tell anyone else about it. The benefits of having a trustworthy partner.

Scratching idly at his hair, which wasn't even damp - just how long had he been sleeping anyway - he decided it wasn't really all that bad. He'd been massaged and coddled - something he would deny to his death that he enjoyed - and she'd gotten to use her super-strength, in town no less, which she rarely had the opportunity to do these days. It was a win-win scenario, really.

Okay, so maybe he got a bit more out of the deal, but that's what relationships were all about, right? Give-and-take? Besides, this gave him the excuse to do something to pay her back. As a yawn overtook him, he decided that since Sakura didn't seem to be home, maybe he'd just go ahead and lie back down. After all, if he was well rested it'd be a lot easier to do, well, whatever he decided to do for her. It'd be easier to come up with his master plan once he'd slept some more too.

Smiling to himself, he laid back down only to pause at a crumpling sound. Reaching beneath his elbow he found a note left by Sakura and grinned. The woman really did spoil him.

_You were right_ , it started. That was novel, and rare enough for her to admit that it made him instantly suspicious before he could even read any further. _You were dirtier than I thought. I had to change the water twice before you could soak in there with me without turning the water brown._

He grimaced. But, in all fairness, he had warned her.

_And I absolutely exhausted myself healing you. Not to mention carrying you to bed._ That was it; this note was going to find a fiery, ashy end. _In fact, I think you might just owe me a foot rub when I get home. See you tonight._

Sneaky. She was trying to cut him off at the pass. She thought she was so clever, but he knew that her continuous ploys to draw him into rubbing her feet were actually another generosity on her side. He could pull her feet into his lap and massage them with one hand while holding his book in the other. Hardly a huge sacrifice on his part. Besides, until she'd started this ruse, he'd never once heard her complain about her feet, unless it was after a particularly hard mission.

Well, he'd had enough. She was getting a lengthy, full body massage, one that would send her to sleep - after which she may or may not find strange things drawn on her body - and she was going to like it.

~ ~ ~

Somewhere across town Sakura smiled.


	8. Old Flame

A/N: Written for KakaSaku Valentines Week 2015 over on tumblr. Prompt for day 1 was Old Flame. Yes, original title is original. But I thought it fitting considering my inspiration for this fic.

~ ~ ~

Old Flame

~ ~ ~

Sakura had made many promises to Sasuke over the years, vows to do whatever she could for him, to shoulder his pain, to ease his burden, to simply be there for him. So when he asked her to be his wife, to help him rebuild his clan in so many more ways than just bearing his children, she didn't look back.

She didn't think about the burgeoning relationship she'd unintentionally formed with Kakashi during Sasuke's many absences over the years. She didn't think about how Kakashi must feel slightly abandoned, despite knowing the power her promises would have over her. She didn't think of possible other futures, of might-have-beens, she locked that all away in a dark, out of the way corner of her heart.

All that mattered was that Sasuke had asked and she would respond. She was a kunoichi, and Konoha shinobi always kept their word.

Years passed and her life changed in ways she never could've imagined. She had children and they gave her more joy than she thought possible, even if there were trials and heartache along the way.

She and Sasuke tried for many children; what with her not being from the Uchiha bloodline their children wouldn't be pureblood. There was no knowing who would more dominantly inherit their father's blood and the capability for the sharingan, so they just had to enlarge the pool as much as possible. 

It was inevitable for her to miscarry.

Sasuke had been there for the first, but he hadn't been for the second. 

She didn't blame him for it though, no more than she blamed him for not being there any other time. Besides, there was no way to _plan_ for this sort of thing. It wasn't like it had been expected, especially when she'd had pregnancies come to term in between.

The only thing she blamed Sasuke for was leaving her alone when it was inevitable for Kakashi to show up. Before she even opened her eyes upon waking that first morning in the hospital, she knew he was there. Even knowing how he hated hospitals, how there'd been this strange dynamic between them ever since she'd accepted Sasuke's proposal, even knowing he was Hokage and had so many other things on his plate, it was inescapable. She trained her eyes on the door and not five minutes passed before he walked through the door, hokage robes draped over one arm.

"Sorry I'm late, I had a meeting," he said by way of apology, lifting the robes to show it was a legitimate excuse this time.

She smiled at him, tears in her eyes. "Baka."

Then his robes were draped over a chair and he was holding her as she sobbed into his chest. It felt like hours passed like that, and it was both the first and last time they let themselves get that close. Once she was cried out Kakashi retreated to the chair and they returned to what passed as a normal equilibrium for them. Despite his duties as Hokage, he managed to spend more than half of every day with her, spreading his other obligations between Shizune, Naruto, and anyone else he could pawn them off on. 

In the following days Kakashi was there for her when she needed him, even going so far as to hold her hand when she neared tears again, his own sometimes trembling. She saw it all there in his eyes. On the surface was all the sorrow and sympathy appropriate for the circumstances, but beyond that there was tenderness and anguish. The connection between them had only grown through the years, despite their separation, and while he certainly was happy she'd found such a contented life, he couldn't entirely hide his pain from her.

She worried that he saw the same in her eyes, that the might-have-beens weren't as deeply hidden as she thought. It was the reason they never sought each other out, tried never to be alone with each other, only looking when the other one wasn't, or catching subtle glances from the corners of their eyes.

After a week she was discharged to recuperate at home and Kakashi's visits were over now that Ino was all but living with her to take care of her. Her friend ranted and raved over Sasuke's absence but she didn't understand, not like Sakura did. Kakashi appeared one last time, to let her know she could call on him for anything if she needed it. That had never needed to be said between them. Even without this strange connection, they'd been teammates, and they were family, in a way. She knew she could depend on any of her boys for a thing, regardless of what she needed.

Then she noticed how far he stood from her, the eye-closing smile that graced his face, and understood he'd come to say this in his capacity as Hokage. He'd probably made this same visit a hundred times to different kunoichi under his command, a hundred more to shinobi with other wounds, and more than he'd care to count to families of the deceased.

"Let me know when you feel up to returning to your duties but don't rush yourself. Take all the time you need," he said as his parting statement, already heading for the door.

When he was gone Sakura let out a sigh of relief. It was good having him there and she was immensely grateful for the time he'd spent with her, but there was too much tension. She couldn't deal with it well enough right then.

Sasuke was home a few days later and was immediately at Sakura's side. He held her all through Ino's rants, not saying a word to contradict her. When her friend finally ran out of breath, looking slightly confused at the man who wouldn't say a single word in his defense, she raised her hands in defeat. 

"Fine, I leave Sakura in your care, but if you even think of scampering off again while she needs you there will be hell to pay."

Sakura just smiled at her friend's antics and snuggle closer to Sasuke. He was a good husband, better than she'd ever expected, even if no one else knew it. He stayed for eight months after that, longer than he'd stayed in Konoha since he'd been twelve. He was simply too restless to remain there for any longer, but that wasn't even the biggest factor. All his guilt drove him on, all his regrets, all his fears, they wouldn't let him stay where he most wanted to be: with his family. He didn't feel he deserved it. And while it pained him because he knew they all suffered some because of it too, he was the one who felt the separation the most.

During those eight months he was doting, just like he always was at home, at least in private. He played with the kids, helped them with their studies and their exercises, even helping them do - or sometimes escape from - their chores. With her, he knew she needed distraction. He hadn't been paying lip service when he said he wanted her to help him completely rebuild his clan. 

There were so many things that had been lost when his family had been wiped out: histories, techniques, legacies, heritage, even lineage. Some things had been common knowledge in the clan he'd simply been too young to learn then while others were only written down and shared at some milestone event. They'd slowly been piecing these things together over the years, something Sakura was honored he shared with her instead of keeping close to himself, and now they worked at it together in earnest. Deciphering things intended to be cryptic, or even distinguishing between what was intentionally cryptic and what was mysterious simply because they were missing a piece of crucial information that might've been common at the time, took a sharp mind. There were charts and notes scattered all around that took ages just to go through, let alone figure how they connected with one another.

Sakura dove into the work with relish and was well established in it, and back at work at the hospital, by the time Sasuke felt the need to leave again. The entire brood - they had five children now - walked him to the gate and waved him on his way. This was normal for them. This was okay. Sometimes she wanted more than okay, but that was another thing she stuffed down into that dark, dark corner of her heart.

Then she turned to her children, her beautiful, smiling children, and her heart sang with joy and she raced them all the way home where they played hide-and-seek and tag for the rest of the day.

Years passed and she watched them all grow with pride, even adding two more children to the bunch. Once her youngest was two years old she was able to return to active duty - the time off a luxury not afforded during more strenuous or war torn times - though she still spent most of her time in the hospital. It was a labor of love, doing research and development, and when other allied countries requested permission to send their own shinobi to learn from her, in her own hospital, surrounded by a life's worth of research and unparalleled equipment, she thought life couldn't get much better. 

Then came the news that Genma had died. 

He was the kind of guy that was everyone's friend, and everyone took his passing to heart, but none more than Shizune, who'd borne him a son not two months prior. Sakura, spent the day lamenting with her friend alongside Tsunade, who, recalling that Shizune was still nursing and thus couldn't drink, had left the booze at home. It was a gesture that touched both Shizune and Sakura deeply because Tsunade didn't deal with grief well and always handled it by getting drunk. Her willingness to take it sober by Shizune's side was a testament to the close bond the women shared.

At the end of the night Sakura and Tsunade both told her they'd come over every day for as long as she needed, then went their separate ways, Tsunade to get blazed and Sakura to the Hokage tower. She knew someone else who likely needed some solace right then, and while she'd initially debated the wisdom of going, he'd been there when she'd needed someone, regardless of how hard it might have been for him. The least she could do was return the favor.

Somehow she'd known that, despite the late hour, he wouldn't have gone home yet. She found him just where she expected, sitting behind his desk in an office that was only half his anymore, Naruto well onto his way to moving in. She wasn't necessarily surprised to see the cup of sake in his hand but she was astounded by the amount of empty bottles she saw littering the desk, testament to just how drunk he must already be. 

Softly walking over to him she put a hand on his shoulder, letting him know she was there for him if he needed anything. After a few quiet moments he put his hand over hers, gently squeezing before just letting it linger there. Sakura well knew the solace a quiet presence could be, even when words weren't wanted. She'd ask him if he wanted to talk about it but she knew him well enough that, drunk as he was, if he wanted to talk he would be.

When he moved his hand to pour himself another glass of sake she pulled up a chair and sat next to him, her back leaning against his arm. Aside from the obvious comfort she was trying to offer she was showing him trust and respect too, her position making it clear she had no intentions of even thinking of looking beneath his mask, which had been pooled around his neck when she'd walked in.

He stilled for a few seconds before relaxing. Then she felt him move against her, twisting, and she turned her head to see what he was up to. A bottle of sake hung in front of her face, dangling from his fingers, and she accepted it gratefully, anxious to get rid of all the build up tension and emotion from the day. 

They drank in silence for hours before Kakashi felt the need to move. He lifted the arm Sakura was leaning against causing her to fall back a bit clumsily after all the alcohol she'd had. At first she thought he was just getting up but then his arm closed back around her in an awkward sideways hug and she smiled before wrapping her hands around his forearm and squeezing her acceptance. 

They sat like that for who knew how long, Kakashi breathing shakily behind her, and Sakura wished she could hug him properly through his tears.

Dragging herself home in the wee hours of the morning she was glad she'd had the foresight to ask Sai to come over and watch the kids. They all adored him, oddly enough, and she was glad someone had been there to make sure they didn't demolish the house. So as it stood all the kids were asleep when she made her way home and she waved sluggishly at Sai before collapsing into her own bed.

It was a month later that she heard Shizune and Kakashi were to be married. Being so soon after Genma's death, it was apparent to everybody that it was a marriage of convenience. Since Shizune's child was still so young she wouldn't want to work for a while, and while she did get some money on maternity leave, it was a pittance. Konoha just couldn't afford very much and shinobi knew to put money away during the pregnancy to live off of. What most people didn't know though was that Shizune had always been very frugal, but most of her money went toward quietly paying off Tsunade's gambling debts. Financially, she was in dire straights. 

Of course, everyone who knew her would be willing to pitch in but that might hurt at her pride, both hers and Tsunade's, and thus she would never allow it. Kakashi, on the other hand, was sitting on more money than people knew, what with his bachelor lifestyle, penny-pinching, and always skipping out on bills as a lark. This was one way he could help his friend without hurting her. Being there for her and the baby, stepping in where Genma couldn't, was of course another obvious advantage.

As for Kakashi, well people would stop bothering him about getting married already at his advanced age.

Sakura was shocked, but happy for them nonetheless. She knew it was a good match, even if it was just a marriage of convenience, but she couldn't help the sharp pinch of pain that came with it. She went to the wedding, a bright smile plastered across her face, and wished them both well with genuine feeling - they were her friends and she truly did want them happy - but afterward she went to the training ground and leveled a few trees. She was rusty, after all, and needed to keep her skills sharp for just in case.

She finally knew how Kakashi had felt all those years watching her with Sasuke. It was bittersweet, in a way. She couldn't look at them too closely but she was glad to see a true bond form between them over time. The casual touches, the way they stood close to each other, attested to the fact that the marriage had been successful. Whether that meant love or just companionship she dared not look close enough to discern. She was ecstatic to know he was happy, that he no longer had to feel on his own while she had a growing family around her, that he could feel part of something. She'd wanted that for him for so long she was gratified to see it come true and with someone else she loved and respected so much.

On the other hand, while she felt she should be able to be with him more easily now, with both of them firmly otherwise engaged, it only became more difficult. In part it was guilt for knowing - but not fully appreciating - how much it had hurt over the years for him to see her happy, without him. Something she completely sympathized with now. In part it was because this connection between them, while muted, hadn't diminished in the least. Sometimes she had trouble looking Shizune in the eye, despite knowing all of them were informed adults and knew exactly where the others stood. After all, Shizune and Tsunade had both stood witness to her start with Kakashi, had watched her walk away to fulfill a promise made to someone else. 

Shizune had known what had been between the two, but even as Shizune and Kakashi grew closer together, she never seemed the slightest bit bitter or aggressive toward Sakura. Sakura never could figure out if it was because she just wasn't threatened by her, since it was so obvious they wouldn't act on any stray impulse, because she hadn't grown attached to Kakashi in that way, or because she was simply a better person than Sakura was.

So Sakura was happy for them, solely and purely. She refused to admit to the tiny, infinitesimal kernel of jealousy that had sprouted, instead burying it away with so many other things in that dark, quiet corner of her heart. And if this shared pain, this knowing how he'd felt looking at her all these years, the crazy, jumbled mixture of emotions, made her feel somehow closer to him, well, she buried that too.

She had another purpose, a family to look to, after all.

Spring became summer and something felt off but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was so she shrugged it off. However when summer turned to fall she figured it out.

Sasuke had been gone too long.

He'd never been gone for longer than five months before. Occasionally he was gone on a mission so they could have a general guideline of when to expect him back. Most times though he was just travelling on his own, trying to learn the world over, to see it again with eyes not tainted by revenge and hate.

Sometimes he had a general idea of where he was going, but not always. If able to he'd update them by messenger hawk, letting the family know of new destinations or timelines, but trained hawks weren't always available. Sometimes he was gone a week, other times for months, but never had it been this long and never had she had this unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She'd mentioned it offhandedly to Naruto who'd instantly put together a search party, hokageship be damned. The entire council had learned to deal with and even come to expect things like this by now, though, and dealt with his announced departure with equanimity, Kakashi stepping back in during his absence. 

All parties involved refused to allow Sakura to take part in the search. When she'd screeched and wailed about the stupidity of not letting her look for her own husband, they'd forced her to hear why and their reasons had seemed, well, reasonable. She'd conceded the point.

The first reason was her children. She had seven of them now, ranging in ages from seventeen to three, who needed to be raised in the Uchiha tradition. If something had already happened to Sasuke, and something befell her as well, who would watch over them?

The second was similar. If, again, something _had_ happened to Sasuke, she was the only one left with the wealth of knowledge about the clan the pair of them had worked out in the past two decades. Even her oldest, Sarada, for all her learning, knew only a fraction of what Sakura knew. If Sakura died all of that knowledge perished with her. That's not what Sasuke would want and it would be tantamount to breaking her promise to him, willfully letting all that information be destroyed. She couldn't compile everything they'd discovered in a few days, let alone the few hours before the search party departed, and everyone else knew it.

They came back with his mangled body four days later. Sasuke, her husband, was dead.

A single tear trickled its way down her face as she watched them enter through the gate but she dashed it away angrily. NO. She didn't have time for that now. First she had to find out who was responsible because someone was going to pay.

Those standing near her or coming to console her took a hasty few steps back at the change in her aura but Sakura didn't notice. She stomped her way to the morgue at the hospital, unconsciously leading a small funereal line. Grief could come later, would probably always be there like a specter over her shoulder, but right now she needed something, _someone_ to direct her rage at.

For right now she had a morgue to prepare because she wasn't going to leave until she was done.

She spent the next thirty-seven hours straight working on his body, trying to find the cause of death. She took no break for eating or sleeping, only drinking fluids when her assistants forced them under her nose. She took them gratefully, if somewhat grudgingly, because somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that if she dehydrated and passed out someone else might take over, someone less competent, and she couldn't allow that.

In hour thirty-eight she slumped over, defeated. There was no one to direct her anger at. Sasuke had died of a brain aneurism, one situated right behind his left eye. There was no way of knowing whether his sharingan was related, but she felt it likely was. He'd done a lot of damage to his eyes in his earlier years and that had likely affected everything else around them. 

All the damage to his body had simply been nature, a combination of rot, decomposition, and scavengers.

He was just so _young_ it felt unjust. Sure, the life expectancy for shinobi wasn't that high but that was because of they were in a dangerous business. It was the fatality rate on missions, of dangerous stunts gone wrong, not stupid natural causes. If you weren't stabbed in the gut you were supposed to live to see old age. It wasn't _fair_. She didn't care that she knew full well that fairness had no place in real life, but that wasn't the place she was in at that moment. Now that rage was gone despair had taken up residence and it was heavy.

The funeral came and went and Sakura filled her time with doing one of the things that had prevented her going on that search: writing everything down. It wasn't just a work of piecing things together and writing them verbatim, though. She and Sasuke had decided early on that they would tweak things, put more emphasis on teamwork, honor among comrades, trust, and dedication. There was just a hint of ego, of prideful thinking in most everything they came across, and they wanted to eradicate anything that could ever tip the clan into thinking of an uprising again, anything that could bring them close to being wiped out. Besides, Sasuke always said he knew he and those of his clan were of top quality. He didn't need some old decaying document to tell him so, so why would any of his descendants?

She poured herself into it, her children helping and learning at the same time, and it became her life's work. But eventually she ran out of things to write, had wrung the meaning out of even the most nuanced, obscure piece of text she'd had, and it was complete. She was not, but it was, and that helped.

Her children grew and started getting married, and Sakura renewed her effort in the research and development at the hospital. That had been holding at the status quo a bit while she'd been working on the Uchiha history and manifest, but now she was back with a fervor and it felt _good_. 

Her fourth child got married and she was starting to feel old, but she couldn't much bring herself to care when Sarada placed her very first grandchild on her lap. It was a strange but brilliant feeling, and when she looked into her beautiful dark brown eyes, she knew the darling girl would one day have a sharingan. It gave her peace.

Life kept moving apace, and with the passing of time it was only inevitable for losses to start coming more and more often.

Soon came the news that Tsunade had died. Sakura felt the blow like a physical dart in her chest. Tsunade's passing hurting just as much, if not even more so than Sasuke's had. In some ways the blonde had been a mother to her, in other ways a mentor, in others a very dear friend. When she felt like it Tsunade had still been working in the hospital, still bellowing at everyone for being incompetent and showing them carefully how they could improve themselves. They'd all known she had to be aging, but with her jutsu it was anyone's guess as to how well.

Shizune didn't allow anyone to see the body and they respected Tsunade enough, even with her quirks in vanity, to accede. Her body was buried next to her beloved Dan and Sakura had to admire the kind of love that could last, unattained, for a lifetime.

The following weeks were a blur and somehow it came as no big shock when Shizune passed away in her sleep not much later. Despite her relationship with Kakashi everyone knew she was still closest with Tsunade. They'd been attached at the hip for decades and it took more than death to break that kind of love.

Sakura was too distraught to think of truly trying to comfort Kakashi about the passing of his wife. He'd come seen her after Sasuke's death, right before the funeral was held, and while she appreciated the gesture there wasn't much to say at the time. She'd been a cried out husk at the time, watching her children sobbing quietly in the house when they thought no one was watching, then staying stoic while in the public eye. He'd rustled her hair like the old days and she'd leaned unthinking into him, and he held her loosely while she tried to gather herself together to face the funeral party. 

But now she was an emotional wreck so what could she offer? She sought him out just once, giving him a hug so tight she had to heal him after, then they both went their separate ways again to deal with their grief. She saw him at the funeral but then not again for weeks. If not for the son he'd raised with Shizune he likely would've cut himself off from the world, but as it was he had to be there for his kid. 

They had occasional play dates as time passed, but that was the most they saw of each other. They passed each other in hallways and streets with a smile and nod of acknowledgement, a glint in each other's eyes, but they didn't seek each other out. They had children to worry about now.

Eventually, Kakashi's son started coming over on his own. At first Sakura had been hurt, thinking that Kakashi had gone so far as to actually start avoiding her, but then she looked closer. He didn't come over to hang out with everyone, he didn't even spend much time with the older boys he'd always looked up to. No, he spent almost all his time mooning over her youngest daughter, looking away just long enough for the girl to glance at him. Sakura had to smile; it was simply too cute.

After a few more years of watching the pair bloom to courtship, the two were wed in the most adorable ceremony Sakura had ever seen. That such an loveable, exuberant, and outwardly emotional boy could be raised by Kakashi was quite a feat and made her laugh, especially when he dragged his pop up to the front of the crowd to thank him with blubbering words for all he'd done for him over the years. Seeing Kakashi flustered never got old, especially when he couldn't really escape, what with the way his son was latched onto him. All in all it was just the perfect day.

Sakura was surrounded by friends and family, her last child was married and settled, and she had grandkids galore to run around her feet and make her smile with their chubby cheeks. Her life was wonderful. It only lacked one thing.

And that thing had made his escape from the front and was making his way right toward her. He leaned down in front of her and extended his hand, not even attempting to be subtle. 

"What do you say we get out of here?"

There was a chorus of "Oooo"s and cheers from those around them, most especially her family, and she had to give them an incredulous if appreciative look, wondering just how unsubtle they'd been in their appreciative looks and growing attentions.

They walked hand in hand - couldn't much race away anymore at their age - away from the wedding, letting the sounds diminish behind them, simply taking their time and drinking in the moment. There was no rush; they knew their destination. 

And when they reached Kakashi's soft bed after their long, meander walk, arthritic joints and geriatric muscles did nothing to hinder them. They were tender and violent in their outpouring, wild as a tempest and smooth as a whisper they were in their love for each other. It was many, many things to them, this first coming together, after so many, many years of longing and waiting, but above all it was perfection.

When their kids found them in the morning they both had smiles written into the wrinkles on their faces, their bodies curled around each other. Those left behind couldn't even feel too sad because they knew Sakura and Kakashi had finally known true happiness with the other.

If there was any better way to go, none of them knew it.

~ ~ ~

A/N: This was originally going to be a different, angstier story, but then it changed to this which is based pretty much entirely on the movie Como Agua Para Chocolate/Like Water for Chocolate. (Watch it!)

This was a work in exploring different types of love than usually appear in literature (at least traditionally romantic types). There's the soft, respectful love that can give you a happy life, even if it's not one full of burning passion (Sasuke&Sakura, maybe Shizune&Kakashi) and those that last a lifetime, regardless of whether they're ever fulfilled (Tsunade&Dan, Sakura&Kakashi). But I also like the idea that to love someone doesn't mean you have to hate any other romantic interest you ever had. (i.e. if Sasuke is still alive she doesn't have to hate him in order to fall in love with/be with Kakashi, and vice versa) There are all different types and kinds of love in life.


	9. Play Date

Written for KakaSaku Month on tumblr. Originally started writing this from the prompt 'Hunted' but switched to the prompt 'Family' because I figured it fit better.

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Pakkun skulked in the underbrush, slipping through the foliage with less agility than usual and making a fair amount of noise. After all, he was teaching pups; he didn't want to make it too hard for them to find him. Still, they should have a keen enough sense of smell by now that they should be able to find him with ease regardless of how many twigs he stepped on.

After a few minutes with no pups on his tail he began to grow suspicious. Peeking his head out into the clearing he rolled his eyes. Really, he should have known. There was Sakura, who'd promised to behave, support the ninken's training, and not be a distraction, sitting in the middle of a pile of puppies, laughing and cooing as she scratched as many heads and bellies as she could at once.

Growling in a resigned sort of frustration he untangled himself from the shrubbery only to be tackled by a bright eyed pup he hadn't seen coming. Rolling on the grass and play-wrestling with her, he eventually stood up, shaking out all the debris that had stuck to his fur. Smiling down at the tiny tyke he gave an approving 'woof' that perked the ears of the rest of his pups. Giving them a disapproving stare that made sure to encompass an embarrassed looking Sakura, he turned back to the daring pup in front of him. He should've thought to look for her in the group at Sakura's feet before coming out; if any were to stay on task, to really get the feel for the hunt, he'd known it would be this one. She was definitely the most promising one in the litter and he was sure she'd be a top ranking ninken by the time she was grown. Making sure she understood his pride in her before nodding his head toward the group, he smiled as she loped off toward them a bit sloppily, her paws still far too big for her.

Sakura sent him a sheepish glance before tentatively reaching down to pet the little female pup, a type of reward for a job well done. A loud bark - they wouldn't be able to pick up much human language until they were older - brought all their attention back to him and while the little girl pranced back to him playfully the rest slunk back on their bellies. He chuffed a laugh. Served them right, getting distracted almost from the get go.

Trying for something a little simpler, he had the litter follow him and try tackling him to the ground. He played it up, pretending to slip here, letting one catch onto his ear or jacket there, and pretended not to hear Kakashi's laughter in the background. After about five minutes he was under a squirming pile of yipping little bodies, now playfully attacking each other just as much as they were trying to stay on top of him.

Wiggling out from under them he simply shook his head as the group, while still attacking each other, managed to make their way closer and closer to Sakura and her waiting lap. With a disgruntled harumph that was half for show, he plopped down next to Kakashi. Sakura, taking that as her cue that training was done - at least for the moment - and that she could play some more without getting scolded for it, eagerly gathered the excited pups in her arms. 

Pakkun tried not to smile at the picture they made - he had to think of appearances after all - but it was hard not to turn just a bit warm inside as she cooed at his pups, scratching them behind the ears, and laughing as they climbed all over her, licking at her fingers and face. He sighed. He supposed having Sakura spoil them rotten was better than his litter not getting along with his - and potentially their - summoner and his significant other, or whatever humans preferred to call it these days.

"You know," Kakashi started in a conversation way that Pakkun just know meant trouble, "if you're feeling that left out I could be persuaded to give you a belly rub."

He growled lowly. "Screw you."

Kakashi laughed at that. "Come on, like you didn't know this was going to happen when we planned this training exercise together. I'm frankly surprised you planned to get anything done at all, what with having me summon you here and having Sakura around. You know how she is around anything small and cute. Especially if it's soft and furry too," he added needlingly. 

"My pups aren't cute," he groused just to be contradictory. Of course they were beyond adorable, to him as their dad if to no one else, but they were also ninken, who could be vicious, stealthy, and deadly when need called for it. "Besides, they have to train in this realm to accustom themselves to the different smells and environments. Plus they really need to learn how to work through distractions."

Kakashi laughed again and, even though it was partly at his expense, Pakkun was glad to hear it. It had been absent from his life for far too long. "Well I think that particular distraction," he pointed a thumb at the tittering pile of human and pup playing a few meters away from them, "is going to have a hold on them for a good long time to come still."

Pakkun groused at that; he couldn't deny that Kakashi was right. Truth be told he couldn't say he honestly minded all that much but he had to do something about the smirk on Kakashi's face. Even if Pakkun hadn't long ago learned to read his expressions in spite of the mask, right now the man radiated smugness so thoroughly he could practically smell it.

"Just wait 'til you have on of your own. Imagine what a nightmare it'll be trying to train your kid with not only Sakura around, spoiling the hell out of the kid and kissing all his booboos, but having a passel of perfectly pettable ninken around to serve as distraction as well."

Pakkun had been looking at his own kids as he spoke and when he turned to regard Kakashi he was startled at what he saw. Eyes bulging and mouth wide open, he looked like a cross between horrified and panicked, and ecstatically, astoundingly elated. His gaze seemed to glaze over for a second as he stared at Sakura, at he tableau before him, before he turned back to Pakkun.

"You really think so?" he asked quietly, subdued shock still evident in his tone.

The ninken was flabbergasted at how his threat had seemed to turn around into something that, while still frightening in its own way, was anything but. Tongue lolling in satisfaction, he moved just a bit closer to Kakashi, still parsing out the subtle, varied, and intense gamut of emotions he could smell rolling off of him in waves. 

"Most definitely."

~ ~ ~

Sits firmly in the 'the-ninken-are-Kakashi's-family' camp


	10. Under My Skin

Just found this going through all my files. It's been sitting on my computer for who knows how long so I figured I may as well post it. Prompt is again from the defunct, ages old kakasakudrabble community on lj.

~ ~ ~

Under My Skin  
Theme #20: Blood  
Word count: 368

~ ~ ~

Blood is nothing new to Sakura; she has been stepped in it for years, covered and saturated and blinded until she’s sure she has traces of others soaked into her skin.

Kakashi is different but the same. He doesn’t work with the wounded day in and day out, isn’t expected to look at blood unfeelingly and stick his hands through the clotting warmth of it to reach the injured area, but he feels it just the same. He’s been responsible for it spilling more times than he can count and far more than he cares to remember. It’s scent, the feel of it running over his fingers, is burned into his psyche and most nights his dreams are only black, white, and red.

When Sakura saw Kakashi’s blood on her hands she didn’t even register it, focused as she was on healing the wound beneath it. She never gave in, never thought about the possible consequences, but kept stubbornly working on him until he was breathing again, until she could see his eyes opening, and he gave her that ‘everything is perfectly fine’ smile that she knew was bull. Still, she’d never been happier to see it.

Kakashi had seen her blood before, had even helped her with the occasional wound that was hard for her to reach. They were teammates, it was nothing unusual, but this time was different. Her blood wasn’t just on his hands, he was utterly steeped in it, with it gushing from her with each pump of her heart, spilling past his hands that weren’t enough to stem the flow. Yet he didn’t hesitate, his mind didn’t wander to past recriminations or self-deprecations – he couldn’t allow it to, the here and now with her was entirely too important.

It was then her hand shakily covered his; he’d been so focused on treating her injuries he hadn’t even noticed her return to consciousness. It was only then he realized the irregularity of what had just occurred, realized that all thoughts of her had pushed any inklings of self-doubt and self-pity from his mind.

It was then he came to the conclusion, as she offered up a tremulous smile, that he was in serious trouble.

~ ~ ~


End file.
